Weekly Holiday Allowance in Korea: Calculation Guide for Foreign Workers

What Is Weekly Holiday Allowance (주휴수당)?

Weekly holiday allowance (주휴수당) is a statutory benefit based on Article 55 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제55조). Employers must guarantee one paid weekly holiday (주휴일) to any worker who has attended all scheduled workdays in a given week, and the wage paid for that paid holiday is the weekly holiday allowance. It applies equally to full-time employees and to part-time or short-hour workers such as those in part-time jobs (아르바이트).

Conditions for Weekly Holiday Allowance

To receive weekly holiday allowance, both of the following conditions must be met:

Scheduled weekly working hours of 15 hours or more
Perfect attendance on all scheduled workdays in that week

Ultra-short-hour workers (초단시간 근로자) whose scheduled weekly hours are less than 15 are excluded from weekly holiday allowance under Article 18, Paragraph 3 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제18조 제3항). In addition, if a worker is absent without leave (unauthorized or unapproved absence) in a given week, no weekly holiday allowance arises for that week. Being late or leaving early does not, in principle, affect perfect-attendance status, but company rules or employment regulations (취업규칙) may provide otherwise.

Note for foreign workers: Your employment contract may specify terms beyond the statutory minimum — always check whether your contract matches or exceeds these legal requirements.

Weekly Holiday Allowance Calculation Formula

Full-time Workers (40-hour week)

For a worker on a standard schedule of 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, the weekly holiday allowance is calculated as daily scheduled hours (8 hours) × hourly wage.

Example: Hourly wage of KRW 10,320 (2026 minimum wage) × 8 hours = KRW 82,560

Short-hour Workers (Part-time, etc.)

When scheduled weekly hours are less than 40, the weekly holiday allowance is calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Formula: (Weekly scheduled hours ÷ 40 hours) × 8 hours × hourly wage

Example: 20 scheduled hours per week, hourly wage KRW 10,320
→ (20 ÷ 40) × 8 × 10,320 = KRW 41,280

This formula follows Article 18 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제18조) and Article 9(1) and attached Table 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 시행령 제9조 제1항·별표 2): a part-time worker's daily scheduled hours are the 4-week scheduled hours divided by the full-time workers' scheduled working days in that period.

Frequently Confused Points

Q. Do I receive more weekly holiday allowance if I work 6 days a week?
Weekly holiday allowance is determined by whether the worker attended all scheduled workdays; overtime or holiday work hours are not included in the base hours for calculation. Furthermore, even if actual hours exceed 40 per week, the calculation cap remains at 40 hours.

Q. Does weekly holiday allowance arise in the final week of employment?
No Supreme Court ruling squarely on this point has been identified. The Ministry of Employment and Labor (임금근로시간과-1736, 2021.8.4) treats it as turning on whether the resignation date falls after the weekly holiday: resigning effective Saturday after a Mon-Fri week means no allowance for that week, while resigning effective the following Monday means it accrues. Administrative interpretations do not bind the courts, so a lawsuit may reach a different result.

Q. Can a contract include weekly holiday allowance within the stated hourly wage?
A contract that bundles weekly holiday allowance into the hourly rate (포괄임금 형태) is permissible, but it is essential to verify that the arrangement does not violate the minimum wage. If the effective hourly rate — inclusive of the bundled weekly holiday allowance — falls below the statutory minimum wage (시간급), it is unlawful.

Calculate Instantly with Workbear

If calculating weekly holiday allowance feels complicated, use the weekly holiday allowance calculator at Workbear (workbear.kr). Simply enter your hourly wage and weekly working hours to instantly see your weekly holiday allowance and total weekly pay. If you want to check whether your contract is legally compliant, also try Workbear's contract review feature.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific cases, consult a certified labor attorney (노무사) or lawyer.